Calipers or dividers.



PATENTBD MAY 24, 1904.

F. H. GAWLBY- cALIPBRs 0R DIVIDBRSi APPLIOATION FILED IAB.19, 1904.

. ,/N ver/70H v u BY I WlNESSES:

t A Tron/v5 ys No. vco,95c.

Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS H. CAWLEY, OF VANCOUVER, CANADA.

CALIPERS OR DIVIDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,956, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed March 19, 1904.

To all whom, it may concern:

' Be it known that I, FRANcrs H. CAWLEY, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, and a resident of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Calipers or Dividers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in calipers, dividers, and the like-such, for instance, as Compasses; and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts whereby "the legs are supported and may be adjusted and secured in any desired adjustment, as will be more fully-described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is an edge view, 'of an instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the face-plate being removed. Fig. iis a cross-section on about line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on about line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the inner side of one of the braces. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the back plate. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the worm. Fig. 9 is adetail perspective view of the face-plate, and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the outer side of one of the braces.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a pair of Compasses; but it will be understood that the invention is applicable to other implements of this class, such as calipers and dividers.

The legs A are provided with the worm-segments A', which are meshed by the worm B, the segments being journaled and the worm being journaled in a frame which comprises the back plate C, the face-plate D, and the braces E. As shown, the back plate C is provided at its upper edge with the inwardly-projecting rib C, grooved at the center at C2 to coperate with the corresponding groove D2 in the rib D of theface-plateD in forming a bearing for the worm B, a bearing for the worm-shaft on the opposite side of the worm B from the bearing C2 D2 being provided in a block C2, projecting forwardly from the lower edge of the back plate and having the opensen'ai No. 198.999. ein man.)

ing C4, in which the worm B journals at as will be understood from the drawings. This block C3 is also provided with the forwardly-projecting threaded stud C2, which receives the thumb-nut presently described. As shown, the block C3 is shouldered at C6 to form a seat against which rests the slotted end d of the face-plate, as will be more fully described hereinafter. This face-plate D is also provided at d near its lower end with a groove which bears against the worm-shaft at b and aids in the operation of binding the said wormshaft in order to lock the parts in any desired adjustment. Thus when the parts C and D are tted together, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the worm-shaft, having at its upper end the handle B', is journaled at in the grooves C2 and D2and at I) in the opening C4 andv groove d', the plates C and D being secured together in the manner more fully described hereinafter. The legs A have their wormsegments A pivoted at A2, the said segments A meshing with the worm` B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It is preferred to support the segments so they may be adjusted toward the .worm in order to hold them securely in mesh therewith, and to this end I form the back plateC and the face-plate D with laterallyelongated slots F (see Figs/7 and 9) and provide the braces E, which comprise plates E and a connecting-screw E2 and have at E3 openings forming bearings for the screws on which the segments turn. These plates E are provided on their inner sides with guide projections E2, (see Fig. 6,) which guideprojections lit in the slots F and guide the lateral movements of the plates Eas the latter are drawn together by the manipulation of their screws E2 in adjusting the segments to properly mesh with the worm. By this means I am not only able to secure a proper adjustment of the parts to mesh as desired, but I am also able to take up wear and lost motion and secure the parts tightly in connection from time to time, as may be desired. At their upper ends the back plate and the face-plate are provided with openings for the screws Gr, by which they may be held together, and at their lower ends the said plates C and D are connected by the screw-stud C and the thumbnut H, turning thereon. It will be noticed from Fig. 5 that if the thumb-nut H be turned tightly down on the screw Cit will press the face-plate D at d2 tightly against the wormshaft, drawing at the same time the block C3 upwardly in the reverse direction, so that the worm-shaft will be clamped between the faceplate and back plate in such manner as to prevent the same from turning. This construction also not only binds upon the worm-shaft to prevent the turning of same, but by pressing the face-plate and back plate tightly together and upon the worm-segments operates to lock the said segments from moving, so that I not only secure the legs from displacement by locking the worm-shaft, butI also directly lock the worm-segments, thus preventing any accidental movement of the legs A after they have been set to any desired adjustment.

At its lower end, or end opposite thehandle B, the shaft of the worm B is threaded at B2 and projects below the block C3 and receives the nut I, by which the worm-shaft will be held firmly in its bearingsin the frame of the instrument. As best shown in Fig. 9, the faceplate D is recessed on its inner side at d2, adjacent to the slot d, to receive the block C3, as will be understood from Figs. 7, 9, and 5 of the drawings.

The construction is simple, easily operated, and eiiciently serves the purpose for which it is designed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The improved instrument herein described comprising the legs having worm-segments, the framing having a back plate and a face-plate provided with bearings for a wormshaft and with laterally-elongated slots, the worm-shaft journaled between said plates and 'having a worm in line with the slots therein and meshed with the segments of the legs, the braces comprising platesv to which the segments are journaled, said plates being provided on their inner faces with guide portions movable in the slots of the frame-plates, Screws connecting the opposite plates of each brace whereby said plates may be drawn together, the stud projecting forwardly from the lower end of the back plate, the face-plate having an opening throughv which said stud passes and the nut turning' on said stud and adapted in cooperation therewith yto bind the worm-shaft between the face and back plates and to clamp said plates upon the segments all substantially as and' for the purposes set forth.

2. An instrumentof the class described having a framing composed of a face-plate and a back plate having bearings for a worm-shaft, a worm-shaft journaled in said bearings, the

segments journaled between suoli plates, the worm being meshed with said segments and means for pressing the plates together whereby they may be caused to bind upon the wormshaft and also clamp the segments substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. An instrument of the class described comprising a frame having opposite side plates, a worm journaled in the frame, the segments meshing with the worm and arranged between the opposite side plates of the frame and means connecting the segments whereby they may be drawn toward each other and means for pressing the opposite side plates toward each other in the direction of the axes of the segments whereby to clamp the latter substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the framing, the worm-shaft, the segments meshing with the worm of the shaft and braces comprising plates to which the segments are journaled and adjusting means connecting said plates whereby the segments may be drawn together substantially as set forth.

l 5. The combination of the frame-plates, the Worm, the brace-plates slidable along the frame-plates, means for adjusting the braceplates toward each other and the segments journaled in connection with the brace-plates substantially as set forth. f

6. The combination of the legs having the segmen ts,the worm meshed with the segments, and a frame provided with means lfor binding the worm-shaft and for clamping the segments in the direction of the axes of the latter whereby the legs may be locked by the locking of the operating-worm and by the clamping of the segments substantially as set forth. 'l

7. The combination of the frame-plates having bearings for the worm and provided with laterally-elongated slots, the segments, the worm meshing with said segments, plates having portions operating in the slots of the frameplates and also provided with bearings for the segments and means connecting said plates whereby they may be adjusted toward each other substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the legs having segments, the worm meshing with said segments, the frameplate provided at its lower end with a projecting block having a bearing for the worm-shaft and provided with a projecting stud, the opposite frame-plate slotted at its lower end for the passage of said threaded stud, a nut on said stud for pressing the frameplates toward each other at their lower ends, means connecting such plates at their upper ends and devices carried by said frame-plates for supporting the segments substantially as set forth. y

9. The combination in an instrument of the class described of the frame having opposite plates provided with the laterally-elongated ICQ IOS

IIS

slots and with bearings for a worm-shaft, a

worm having its shaft journaled in said frame, other to clamp the segments substantially as segments Within the frame between its plates set forth. and meshing with the Worm, the braces having plates to which the segments are journaled,

5 said plates being provided with portions pro- Witnesses:

jeoting into the slots of the framing and means SOLON C. KEMON, for pressing the frameplates toward each PERRY B. TURPIN.

FRANCIS H. CAWLEY. 

